Cohen's business manager guilty of harassment

The former lover and business manager of legendary singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen has been found guilty of harassing him with emails and phone calls.

Kelly Lynch, 55, pleaded not guilty to violating restraining orders and harassing 77-year-old Cohen and other artists and public identities with phone calls and thousands of emails.

After a week-long trial a jury retired on Thursday (local time) to consider its verdict and reached a decision the same afternoon.

Lynch, who is in custody in lieu of $25,000 bail, is expected to face a sentencing hearing next week.

She showed no emotion when the verdict was delivered.

Summing up for an LA Superior Court jury earlier today, Deputy City Attorney Sandra Jo Streeter described Lynch as a con artist who deliberately set out to annoy Cohen.

She rejected allegations Lynch sent him threatening emails because she was influenced by alcohol and said his former business manager of almost 17 years knew exactly what she was doing.

"This case is about how over one year she made his life hell," Ms Streeter told the jury.

Ms Streeter said Cohen had taken Lynch in and given her access to his personal life and family.

But she said one of the emails sent to him stated: "I'm going to take you down".

During the trial some of the phone calls which contained abusive language were played.

Lynch's lawyer had told the court she was on trial because she "knew too much" about her former boss' business affairs.

The lawyer said Lynch sent emails because she "had a lot to say" and was a whistleblower crying out for help.

He said Cohen lacked credibility as a witness because he had earlier denied his brief sexual relationship with Lynch.

The lawyer noted that although Cohen claimed to have felt threatened by Lynch's behaviour, he once had a gun held to his head by Phil Spector while they were recording together but had not felt threatened by that.

He said Cohen is famous, has been performing for 50 years and gave yet another performance in the witness stand.

Cohen, who is known for hits such as Hellelujah and Suzanne, previously told the court the emails sent by Lynch affected his reputation and concerned him so much that he became worried every time a car slowed down.

Throughout the trial Kelly Lynch sat taking notes with her legal team.

Only a few people sat in the public gallery to watch the proceedings before Judge Robert C. Vanderet.

Leonard Cohen was not in court for the verdict but mostly sat by himself outside court during breaks in the trial.